Seriously, how hard would it have been to put the A5X chip in the iPad mini? Why go back 2 generations all the way to the A5 processor? Was it for battery life? Was it because the non-retina display doesn't really need quad-core graphics? Somehow the A5 just feels dated. I bet gaming performance would have been better with the A5X.
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I just realized the iPad mini does not have the A5X chip in it!
- Thread starter saintforlife
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Well since the ipad mini is a smaller and lower end ipad, not surprising they opted to go with ipad 2 hardware so the pricing can b lower
I can't agree with this. Apple is a master of the supply chain. They already have many different sized retina screens being made. Despite many of the negative feelings about the iPad mini, I am sure it will be a very large hit. They could have, and probably are planning for mass quantity production of this new screen size, which would keep the cost down. This was just Apple looking to make some more $. They most likely could have put a retina display in, but didn't because they won't make as much money as they will now with a cheaper display.
The regular consumer who doesn't passionately follow Apple probably won't understand this, but the devoted do. In regards to what apple did with iPad today, I am thoroughly disappointed.
It would be completely insane to include the A5X. It uses way more power, has a 45nm size instead of a 32nm one for the A5, and the extra graphics power would have been totally useless on that low res screen.
iPod touch. They share a similar A5 chip (the iPod has the iPhone 4S's A5 build architecture and the iPad mini has the iPad 2's larger chip design). However, putting an A6 in the iPad mini doesn't make business sense, despite the iPod touch and iPad mini possibly being targeted differently. For just $30 more, you get better inside, and larger screen real estate, and a much praised iP5-reserved A6? Couldn't happen.
Yes, most likely... this is the top-of-the-line prediction. Wonder how that's going to work out, especially since the smaller and cheaper iPad mini will have iPhone 5-esque ppi, significantly higher than the iPad (3rd & 4th generation). At that point in time, unless the next-generation iPad will have a "one more thing", the only thing it'll be selling over the iPad mini is screen real estate... an extra near-two-inches diagonal.
It's all business, nothing else. They don't want to make the iPad mini as good as it can be, simply because they want to differentiate it with the iPad.
And make you upgrade soon. Because guess what iPad mini 2 will have? 1 GB of RAM, and maybe A5x or A6 CPU.
And iPad mini 3? Maybe A6x and retina display.
And so on and so forth... We have all seen the standard Apple pattern when it comes to this. You have to wait for the 3rd generation of an Apple product before you get what should have been there the first time.
And make you upgrade soon. Because guess what iPad mini 2 will have? 1 GB of RAM, and maybe A5x or A6 CPU.
And iPad mini 3? Maybe A6x and retina display.
And so on and so forth... We have all seen the standard Apple pattern when it comes to this. You have to wait for the 3rd generation of an Apple product before you get what should have been there the first time.
They need to save something for this spring when the iPad Mini "S" is introduced. They might give us retina and A5X. That would hold us till fall
They need to save something for this spring when the iPad Mini "S" is introduced. They might give us retina and A5X. That would hold us till fall
Not enough battery capacity in the iPad Mini for A5X. A6 or bust.
Pretty sure the iPhone 5 is probably eating all of the A6 chips they can produce. The A5's are in all of Apple's "second tier" devices....
iPod Touch
AppleTV
iPad 2
iPad Mini
Second, who would buy an iPad 2 if the iPad Mini had an A6? Right now it works out:
Basic small iPad $330
Basic Big iPad $400
Advanced iPad $500
Seems to make sense to me to only use the A5.
Also, as already stated, the A5X would crush the battery life of the iPad Mini and is completely unnecessary for a 1024 x 768 screen. My iPad 2 does just fine with the A5. I wonder what size they would make the Mini if they do offer it in "retina". I can't imagine they would double the pixels in such a small device, but anything else would require the devs to completely re-do their iPad Apps again!
I'm not against it lacking the retina screen because its a gen 1 product and it was expected. But I'm so sick of these people who feel their job is to defend Apple at every corner at the expense of the consumer.
Apple has the largest profit margins in the industry yet people will claim an A6 would be impossible to include without remaining profitable? (IPhone cost breakdowns have the A6 priced at $17.50)
Apple is pushing retina on every current iPhone they sell, on the last two generations of iPads and even the 4" iPod touch. Yet theres the BS defense that 7.9" skipping retina isn't a big deal?
Again, i wouldve bought it with or Without A6 or Retina so Im happy with whst ill get. but It's just gross that people like this exist who talk product superiority when Apple does it right and defend "minimum specs necessary" when customers see a huge missing piece. That's Apples job, not its users.
IMO, people may be scared to buy iPad 4 due to uncertainty of the Spring release. So Is theiPad Mini really a second tier device when it may possibly be Apple biggest seller this holiday? $329 is pretty premium pricing for a 16GB device based almost entirely on specs from 2 years ago so putting the A6 would've made sense just to make it seem current.
Either way, after seeing what the iPad Mini is built on then it's clear why they didn't release it last month. The media would've torn it up for its shortcomings in comparison to both the iPhone and iPod Touch.
Except the iPod Touch only has an A5 in it as well and the media didn't tear them up for only including an A5.... The only devices that Apple sells an A6 in is their iPhone and Retina iPad. Those are their "premium" and/or "top tier" products. Those are the devices with the highest costs, and the largest margins.